Adelaide’s first game under new coach Don Pyke will be a NAB Challenge game at Unley Oval on February 21.
The Sunday afternoon match against West Coast will be the Crows’ only ‘home’ game of the 2016 pre-season. It will be the first-ever AFL pre-season game at the venue.
Adelaide then travels to Mount Barker in regional Western Australia to play Fremantle and completes its NAB Challenge campaign against Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium on Friday, March 11.
Each team will play three NAB Challenge games across four weeks in next year’s pre-season format, as was the case in 2015. Every club will play two matches through the opening three weeks plus a final game in the fourth week. A total of 27 matches will be played over four weekends.
Nearly every game over the first three weeks will be played at suburban and regional venues around the country and among those to be hosting AFL pre-season matches for the first time include Mackay in north Queensland, Beaconsfield on the fringes of Melbourne's southeast and Playford Alive Oval in Adelaide's north. The Crows' clash with the Dockers in Mount Barker (WA) will also be a first for the region.
Some of the venues to enjoy another taste of the NAB Challenge include Joondalup (WA), Mandurah (WA), Shepparton (Vic), Blacktown (NSW), Wagga Wagga (NSW) and Burpengary (Qld).
Click here for the full 2016 NAB Challenge fixture
AFL General Manager of Broadcasting, Scheduling and Major Projects Simon Lethlean said the AFL was committed to bringing the game to the people.
"The NAB Challenge continues to take our game across the country to regional and suburban grounds that don't normally host AFL football during our regular premiership season," Mr Lethlean said.
"The support of NAB, by taking our games in the pre-season away from the major metropolitan venues, enables our game to strengthen its roots in the community."
The AFL also confirmed that every NAB Challenge match will be televised live on Fox Footy as well as on the AFL Live app. Club members with game access will be entitled to attend next year's NAB Challenge matches free of charge, subject to availability.
The 2016 AFL Premiership Season fixture is due for release on Thursday, October 29. The schedule for Round One has already been confirmed, with the Crows to confront North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Saturday, March 25.
Adelaide's 2016 NAB Challenge Fixture
Match 1
Sunday, 21 February
Adelaide v West Coast
Unley Oval, Adelaide
1:35pm CDT
Match 2
Sunday, 28 February
Fremantle v Adelaide
Sounness Park, Mount Barker (WA)
1:40pm WST
Match 3
Friday, 11 March
Gold Coast v Adelaide
Metricon Stadium
7:40pm EST
